News | Journal Gazette

Monster tornado slams Oklahoma City suburbs

TIM TALLEY — Tue, 21 May 2013 03:00:00 EST

The state medical examiner's office on Tuesday revised the death toll to 24 people, including seven children.

Searchers surround school

Mary Schlangenstein — Tue, 21 May 2013 03:00:00 EST

Darkness fell on an Oklahoma City suburb gripped by a frantic search for pupils, teachers and staff in an elementary school flattened by a tornado.

Deadly twister retraces path of 1999 storm

MALCOLM RITTER — Tue, 21 May 2013 03:00:00 EST

Monday's powerful tornado in suburban Oklahoma City loosely followed the path of a killer twister that slammed the region in May 1999.

Aides knew of IRS audit but kept Obama in dark

JULIE PACE — Tue, 21 May 2013 03:00:00 EST

White House chief of staff Denis McDonough and other senior advisers knew in late April that an impending report was likely to say the IRS had inappropriately targeted conservative groups, President Obama's spokesman disclosed Monday, expanding the circle of top officials who knew of the audit beyond those named earlier.

Indiana unlikely to adopt lower DWI rule

Associated Press — Tue, 21 May 2013 03:00:00 EST

Some key Indiana legislators don't expect the state to adopt a federal safety board's recommendation that the threshold for drunken driving be cut nearly in half.

Crews dig through night after deadly twister

Associated Press — Tue, 21 May 2013 05:16:12 EST

MOORE, Okla. - Spotlights bore down on massive piles of shredded cinder block, insulation and metal as crews worked through the night early Tuesday lifting bricks and parts of collapsed walls where a monstrous tornado barreled through the Oklahoma City suburbs, demolishing an elementary school and reducing homes to piles of splintered wood.

Thousands of military sex victims treated

Associated Press — Tue, 21 May 2013 03:00:00 EST

New government figures underscore the staggering long-term consequences of military sexual assaults: More than 85,000 veterans were treated last year for injuries or illness linked to the abuse, and 4,000 sought disability benefits.

Indiana flood gauge idled in federal cuts

Associated Press — Tue, 21 May 2013 03:00:00 EST

Indiana will lose a stream gauge that has been used for research and to alert communities about impending flooding under federal budget cuts to a program that collects data from waterways across the country.

AP photographer describes destroyed Oklahoma school

Sue Ogrocki — Tue, 21 May 2013 04:24:54 EST

MOORE, Okla. - As soon as I saw the tornado warnings on TV, I had to leave the office right away. I had photographed about a dozen tornados in my decade in Oklahoma and if I didn't get into my car before the funnel cloud swept through, I knew I would get stuck in traffic and arrive too late at the scene.

In tornado’s wake, worried parents seek out kids

Associated Press — Tue, 21 May 2013 04:32:55 EST

MOORE, Okla. - The parents and guardians stood in the muddy grass outside a suburban Oklahoma City church, listening intently as someone with a bullhorn called out the names of children who were being dropped off - survivors of Monday's deadly tornado.

Obama pledges to back Myanmar

MATTHEW PENNINGTON — Tue, 21 May 2013 03:00:00 EST

President Obama on Monday told Myanmar's president during a long-awaited White House meeting that he appreciates the Asian leader's efforts to lead the country on its sometimes difficult path to democracy and assured him of U.S. support.

Expert: Summer gas costs likely lower than 2012

Associated Press — Tue, 21 May 2013 07:21:57 EST

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) A Purdue University economist says he expects this summer's gasoline prices to be lower than last year.

Ex-Indianapolis councilman sentenced

CHARLES WILSON — Tue, 21 May 2013 03:00:00 EST

A former Indianapolis City-County Council member and minister was sentenced to more than two years in prison Monday for helping squander a doctor's $1.7 million charitable donation in just over a month on luxury vehicles, jewelry and expensive vacations.

Toddler drowns in Ohio river

Associated Press — Tue, 21 May 2013 07:26:04 EST

AKRON, Ohio (AP) Authorities say a 2-year-old boy drowned in a river in eastern Ohio after wandering away from his family's cabin.

2 kids killed in condo fire

Associated Press — Tue, 21 May 2013 03:00:00 EST

Authorities say two children have died and four other people injured from a fire at an Indianapolis condominium building.

Myanmar Muslims jailed for killing Buddhist monk

Associated Press — Tue, 21 May 2013 03:04:02 EST

MEIKHTILA, Myanmar - A Myanmar court sentenced seven Muslims to prison - one of them to a life term - in the killing of a Buddhist monk amid deadly sectarian violence that was overwhelmingly directed against minority Muslims but has produced no serious charges against the members of the country's Buddhist majority.

Israel returns fire following shooting from Syria

Associated Press — Tue, 21 May 2013 03:15:33 EST

JERUSALEM - The Israeli military says gunfire from Syria hit an Israeli patrol on the Golan Heights overnight, damaging a vehicle and prompting the troops to fire back.

Owner: Chinese boat’s captain beaten by North Koreans

Associated Press — Tue, 21 May 2013 04:46:50 EST

BEIJING - The owner of a Chinese fishing boat seized for more than two weeks by armed North Koreans says the captors wore military uniforms, and that they beat up the boat's captain and stole its fuel.

Slow pokes: Acupuncture helps hypothermic turtles

Associated Press — Tue, 21 May 2013 03:02:02 EST

QUINCY, Mass. - Two endangered sea turtles that are shells of their former selves after getting stranded on Cape Cod during a cold spell are getting some help easing back into the wild - from an acupuncturist.

correction

Tue, 21 May 2013 03:00:00 EST

A headline on Political Notebook on Page 8C Sunday incorrectly stated how many bills were passed by the Indiana General Assembly this session.

Athlete-amputee becomes artificial limb inventor

Tue, 21 May 2013 03:00:00 EST

An inventor who lost his lower leg in a snowmobiling accident has developed an artificial limb design with mountain-bike parts.

Tornado hits near Oklahoma City

Tim Talley — Mon, 20 May 2013 16:54:18 EST

Update: At least 51 dead, at least 120 treated at hospitals, including 50 children; some students rescued from debris of collapsed elementary school, but dozens not yet found.

Some kids rescued from rubble at elementary school

Associated Press — Mon, 20 May 2013 19:48:35 EST

MOORE, Okla. – Several children have been pulled out of the rubble alive at a school in an Oklahoma City suburb.

Twister tracked path of 1999 tornado

Malcolm Ritter — Mon, 20 May 2013 19:51:52 EST

NEW YORK – Monday’s powerful tornado in suburban Oklahoma City loosely followed the path of a killer twister that slammed the region in May 1999.

Indiana agency investigating cellphone provider

Associated Press — Mon, 20 May 2013 22:56:00 EST

INDIANAPOLIS Indiana utility regulators have started an investigation of an Oklahoma-based cellphone company after it set up 30,000 accounts in the state for a federal subsidy program in less than a year.

Twister season starts late, but starts nonetheless

Justin Juozapavicius — Mon, 20 May 2013 19:55:54 EST

TULSA, Okla. – Deadly tornadoes that have raked communities in Middle America during the last week, including Monday’s massive twister that carved a path of destruction through the Oklahoma City suburb of Moore, belie what had been a relatively quiet start of the 2013 tornado season.

Deadliest US tornadoes since 1900

Associated Press — Mon, 20 May 2013 20:20:06 EST

A list of the 10 deadliest tornadoes in the United States since 1900:

Obama lauds Myanmar's progress in meeting with president

Roger Runningen — Mon, 20 May 2013 20:06:30 EST

WASHINGTON - President Obama lauded the progress made by Myanmar President Thein Sein’s government to open the political process, and said greater emphasis on human rights will bring the Southeast Asian country more prosperity.

Sally Ride to get posthumous Medal of Freedom

Associated Press — Mon, 20 May 2013 20:04:02 EST

WASHINGTON – President Obama will bestow the Medal of Freedom posthumously on Sally Ride, the first American woman to fly in space.

Testing starts at ex-park near Ohio cancer cluster

Associated Press — Mon, 20 May 2013 19:22:51 EST

FREMONT, Ohio (AP) Whirlpool Corp. began soil and water testing Monday at a former park in a northern Ohio area where cancer has sickened dozens of children for more than a decade.

Kentucky teen dies with dog lead on neck

BRUCE SCHREINER — Mon, 20 May 2013 18:50:03 EST

LOUISVILLE, Ky. A

Thunderstorms are forecast for region

The Journal Gazette — Mon, 20 May 2013 10:52:10 EST

FORT WAYNE – Northeast Indiana and northwest Ohio are likely to have thunderstorms during the next few days.

2 children dead in condo fire

Associated Press — Mon, 20 May 2013 11:55:55 EST

Fire Department spokesman Jason Kistler said a 38-year-old woman was taken to a hospital in critical condition.

Home leveled by explosion

Associated Press — Mon, 20 May 2013 12:13:17 EST

SCIO, Ohio – Authorities said a house in a small eastern Ohio village was leveled by a large explosion while the family that lived there was at church.

Ferris wheel ride world record broken in Chicago

Associated Press — Mon, 20 May 2013 12:10:10 EST

CHICAGO – A manager of Chicago’s Navy Pier rode the tourist spot’s Ferris wheel for more than two days, bringing the world record for the longest ride to the birthplace of the amusement park favorite.

Small Fla. city anxious to learn jackpot winner

Tamara Lush and Barbara Rodriguez — Mon, 20 May 2013 12:03:41 EST

ZEPHYRHILLS, Fla. – It could be an anxious wait of up to two months for people in a small Florida city to find out who won the highest Powerball jackpot in history -- an estimated $590.5 million.

Suspects mistakenly dial 911 during break-in

Associated Press — Mon, 20 May 2013 17:11:41 EST

FRESNO, Calif. – Two California men were in custody on Monday after accidentally dialing 911 on a cellphone before breaking into a car, authorities said.

Angry mob pelts man thought to be sex attacker

Steven K. Paulson — Mon, 20 May 2013 17:07:18 EST

DENVER – Residents angry that police had not warned them about sex assaults of children took matters into their own hands, chasing down a man they thought was the attacker, pelting him with rocks and leaving him with a bloody face, authorities said Monday.

20 participate in walk for cancer

Frank Gray — Mon, 20 May 2013 03:00:00 EST

Only about 20 people showed up for the Inner City Cancer Walk Sunday afternoon at Freimann Square. Then again, the walk, sponsored by the Mirror Me Foundation, has competition.

FBI Agents Killed in Virginia Training Accident

Martin Weil — Mon, 20 May 2013 03:00:00 EST

Two FBI agents from an elite counterterrorism unit based in Northern Virginia were killed Friday during a training exercise in the Virginia Beach area, the FBI said Sunday.

Details emerge in Justice Department probe

Ann E. Marimow — Mon, 20 May 2013 03:00:00 EST

When the Justice Department began investigating possible leaks of classified information about North Korea in 2009, investigators did more than obtain telephone records of a working journalist suspected of receiving the secret material.

Myanmar army to continue role

Anne Gearan — Mon, 20 May 2013 03:00:00 EST

The military that ran Myanmar for decades will continue to play a major role in the country, said the former general who has presided over the transformation of a nation that only three years ago was considered one of the world's most repressive.

Winning ticket sold in Florida

TAMARA LUSH and BARBARA RODRIGUEZ — Mon, 20 May 2013 03:00:00 EST

Some lucky person walked into a Publix supermarket in suburban Florida over the past few days and bought a ticket now worth an estimated $590.5 million - the highest Powerball jackpot in history.

Tornadoes strike Plains, damage homes

SEAN MURPHY — Mon, 20 May 2013 03:00:00 EST

One of several tornadoes that touched down Sunday in Oklahoma turned homes in a trailer park near Oklahoma City into splinters and rubble and sent frightened residents along a 100-mile corridor scurrying for shelter.

Connecticut travel to be a mess

STEPHEN SINGER — Mon, 20 May 2013 03:00:00 EST

Traffic in southwest Connecticut could be a mess for as much as a week until service is restored to the commuter rail line affected by a derailment that injured scores of passengers, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy warned Sunday.

2 arrested in killing of boy over iPad

MARTIN GRIFFITH — Mon, 20 May 2013 03:00:00 EST

Two men have been arrested in the killing of a teenage boy over an iPad in Las Vegas, police said Sunday.

At Morehouse, Obama discusses men's role

Philip Rucker — Mon, 20 May 2013 03:00:00 EST

President Obama on Sunday summoned the graduates of historically black Morehouse College to "transform the way we think about manhood," urging the young men to avoid the temptation to make excuses and to take responsibility for their families and their communities.

Yahoo board approves acquisition of Tumblr

News services — Mon, 20 May 2013 03:00:00 EST

Yahoo Inc.'s board has approved a $1.1 billion acquisition of Tumblr Inc., a service that hosts 108 million blogs, the Wall Street Journal reported Sunday, citing unidentified people familiar with the matter.

Tuesday is deadline for Do Not Call list

Associated Press — Mon, 20 May 2013 04:21:41 EST

INDIANAPOLIS – Tuesday is the next deadline to sign up for Indiana's Do Not Call registry.

South Bend considers easing beekeeping rules

Associated Press — Mon, 20 May 2013 07:32:07 EST

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) Officials in South Bend are considering changes that would make it easier for people to keep bee hives in the city.

Former Notre Dame president to celebrate 70 years as a priest

Associated Press — Mon, 20 May 2013 04:09:23 EST

SOUTH BEND - The Rev. Theodore Hesburgh, who served as president of the University of Notre Dame for 35 years, will mark his 70 years as a priest by taking part in a Jubilee Mass on Friday, the day before he turns 96 years old.

Man dies while rappelling in Ohio park

Associated Press — Mon, 20 May 2013 07:26:47 EST

LOGAN, Ohio (AP) Authorities say a 52-year-old man died when he fell from a cliff while rappelling in southeastern Ohio over the weekend.

Patrol: Woman in minivan hits 125 mph during chase

Associated Press — Mon, 20 May 2013 07:23:37 EST

LEBANON, Ohio (AP) The Ohio State Highway Patrol says a woman driving a minivan led troopers on an interstate highway chase that reached speeds of 125 mph.